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Directions to Balneil Cairn: The route to Balneil Cairn starts at New Luce Hall Car Park. Walk S past the church for c. 120 yards to reach a minor junction. Take the left turn, walk for c. 180 yards to reach a gateway on the right. Head S across the grass field for c. 100 yards to a gateway. Head SSE for c. 120 yard to a gap in the woods. Traverse up the wooded slope crossing a fence into a grass field. Continue SSE for c. 100 yards towards a gate. Head E across the field for c. 300 yards to a gate. Follow a fence E for c. 120 yards to a gateway. Head NW towards the obvious stony mound in the field. NB There may be beef cattle in the field preventing safe access. My cross country route is viewable on Balneil Cairn.

Visited 24.04.25

It is natural to focus on the Sir Andrew Agnew Monument constructed on the Tor of Craigoch Hillfort given the lack of physical remains. The ditch and rampart defences on the S and W flanks are obscured by gorse and rhododendron shrubs which encircle the hillfort. The enclosure on the summit is featureless except for the modern tower, an OS trig point and low rock outcrops breaking the grassy surface. The oval enclosure currently measures c. 44 yards E-W and 22 yards transversely.

There are traces of an outer earth rampart on the SW slope outside the circle of vegetation. I found two large cup markings c. 6 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep on a horizontal panel c. 25 yards E of the monument. The cups were too circular and the interior surface of the cups too smooth for them to be natural. They are possibly the result of domestic activity modifying natural hollows.

Visited 18.03.14

Carburrow Quoit is an unusual jumble of stones located c. 60 yards NW of the E cairn on the summit of Carburrow Tor. The stone structure consists of an elongated cuboid stone pointing NW, supported on the SE by a stone slab and in the centre by a small boulder. It looks too artificial to be shaped by natural forces. Given the nearby cairns on the summit, it seems likely that Carburrow Quoit was constructed by man for an unknown purpose.

There was a large car park on the NE end of Elrig Loch. It has now been closed off by a line of large boulders, however it is possible to park beside them. Elrig Loch Crannog lies under water c. 100 yards NNE of the NE end of the loch. A pile of stones c. 1 foot high and 6 feet wide projects above the water.

According to Canmore, the crannog was surveyed in 2004 : “The crannog consists of a large stone mound, 26.5m in diameter and 1.77m from base to top.” M G Cavers 2004. Further details of the survey are available in Canmore ID 62709.